by Sander van Dijk·Color Grading
Images © Sander van Dijk. Used for product review; image policy.
Ray Dynamic Color 2 earns its place in the aescripts library as a dedicated color palette for After Effects, with a feature set built around applying, extracting and re-editing colors across a scene. Its compatibility stretches from CC 2017 to 2024, and it hooks into KBar and Overlord for artists already using those tools.
Ray Dynamic Color 2 is a color palette for After Effects, built by Sander van Dijk. It centers your project's colors in a single palette so you can apply them to a scene with one click using color swatches, and pull existing colors out of a scene back into the palette.
Colors stay editable after they're applied, and you can work with or without expression links, linking and unlinking colors to and from the palette as needed. It handles shape layer strokes and fills individually, swaps the colors of two properties, and resolves color differences when merging scenes. Palette options include randomizing and cycling colors.
The panel uses a compact, responsive interface and integrates with KBar and Overlord. It runs across After Effects versions from CC 2017 through 2024.
Ray Dynamic Color 2 is best for motion designers and After Effects artists managing a project's colors from a central palette — applying, extracting, swapping and re-editing colors across a scene.
Ray Dynamic Color 2 is completely free to download and use.
Ray Dynamic Color 2 lists compatibility with After Effects 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, CC 2019, CC 2018 and CC 2017, covering a wide span of recent and older releases. The most recent update also fixed macOS compatibility issues. If you're running a version outside that range, check the developer's page before installing to confirm current support and any platform-specific notes for your setup.
Ray Dynamic Color 2 includes KBar and Overlord integration, so it connects with those two After Effects tools directly. On its own it works through a compact, responsive panel. For the exact setup of each integration, the developer's page and its 'Learn How' guides cover how the connection is configured, which is worth reviewing if you rely on KBar or Overlord in your workflow before you commit to it.
Ray Dynamic Color 2 is listed as free here in the catalog. Licensing terms can change over time, and its changelog notes several license framework updates across versions, so the developer's page is the most reliable place to confirm current pricing and license details before you download. That page also documents the plugin's features in depth through its 'Learn How' links, which walk through each capability.
Ray Dynamic Color 2 version 2.5.12, released November 21, 2022, updated the license framework and fixed macOS compatibility issues. Earlier releases in the 2.5 line addressed items like expression engine compatibility for CC 2019, color sampling from Adobe Color Themes, and a color palette limit change. For the full history and any releases after 2.5.12, the developer's changelog is the reference to check.
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